When a man experiences erectile dysfunction for the first time in his life, the first impulse is to think about a serious underlying medical condition. It is very true that an onset of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other medical conditions are known to cause erectile dysfunctions. Other common causes can include medication, increased alcohol consumption, smoking, drug abuse etc.

If there is no medical cause for your lack of erection, then maybe it would be worth investigating the nonphysical causes of erectile dysfunction. In fact, most of the time, impotence is a psychological issue, rather than the early signal of a medical condition.
The most common psychological causes for erectile dysfunction are:
1. Inhibited sexual desire
2. Anxiety Disorders
3. Depression
4. Mental fatigue
5. Stress
6. Guilt
7. Relationship problems
8. Lack of interest in sex by the partner

It's worth noting that excessive masturbation impotence is just a myth. You cannot become impotent by masturbating too much, but you can experience lack of erection if you feel you masturbate too much and you think this is wrong, which equals guilt. Excessive masturbation can lead to penile injuries in some rare cases and even damaged wrists, but it will not cause impotence all by itself.

Most men will experience psychological impotence at least once in their adult life, so it's important to know that an occasional episode is not a diagnosis for on-going impotence. In most cases, isolated episodes are more likely to be due to fatigue, stress or an over-indulgence in alcohol than an underlying physical cause. However, many men react to an occasional episode of impotence by becoming more anxious, which results in further sexual problems, hence more anxiety.

Sadly it seems that for a large number of men, their ability to get an erection and have sex is viewed as an integral part of their masculinity and potency. So it's no wonder that the onset of impotence, even when triggered by an underlying physical condition, can produce psychological problems that further impact on the impotence. This is called the "impotence domino effect" of anxiety leads to failure, which leads to more anxiety and more failure.

Depression and anxiety disorders are cited as the most common causes of psychological impotence. However, depression and anxiety can be both the cause and the consequence of impotence. In many cases, it can be very difficult to determine whether depression and anxiety disorders cause impotence, or if impotence leads to feelings of depression and anxiety. Clinical depression can cause psychological impotence because it interferes with the brain function necessary to stimulate sexual arousal and produce an erection. Depression also suppresses positive feelings and emotions, which inhibit libido and the desire for sexual activity.

The answer to relationship issues often lies in good communication. Problems with impotence can put severe pressure on the healthiest relationship, so it's important that both you and your partner share your feelings. Reducing your anxiety prior to sexual activity is vital. By working together, you and your partner can enhance your relationship by creating a stress-free, intimate and stimulating environment.

The good news is that if you suffer from psychological impotence the first adequate treatment you will try will prove successful in 99% of the time. Psychological impotence cure is available for men of all ages and no matter what could have caused it, a good therapist can sort it all out fairly quickly.